


Five Times Julian Didn't See Garak's Feet and the One Time He Did

by boldlygoingnowherefast



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Foot Fetish, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 13:11:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16765804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boldlygoingnowherefast/pseuds/boldlygoingnowherefast
Summary: Julian Bashir has always had a thing for feet, and for some reason, Garak is keeping his hidden. Julian intends to find out why.





	Five Times Julian Didn't See Garak's Feet and the One Time He Did

**Author's Note:**

> I have no excuse other than Julian Bashir himself.

1

“Come on, Garak, it’ll be fun!”

“I am fine with your spy programs because they at least provide stimulating entertainment, but tell me, why should I go to the beach with you?” They were sharing their usual table in the Replimat, and Garak was only halfway done with his meal as he argued with Julian about the merits of Julian’s new holoprogram.

“It’ll be warm, there’ll be plenty of sun and humidity. Plus, I think we both need something relaxing after the past few weeks we’ve had.” The war with the Dominion had escalated, and they had finally gotten the station back to the way it was after the Dominion occupation. It had taken a lot of scrubbing and polishing and rearranging, but it was finally starting to feel like _their_ station again. Julian thought it was a good time as any to enjoy some holosuite time, and he wanted Garak to join him. They hadn’t spent much time together in the last month, and Julian was missing his company.

Garak sighed. “I have work to do, Doctor. If you remember, I’m doing important work for the Federation now. You can’t expect me to go traipsing off with you just because you got it in your head that I need to go to the beach with you.”

“Garak, I only have the holosuite reserved for an hour. Surely even the all-important decoder can spare an hour?”

Garak stared at him with pursed lips and then sighed. “Fine. I will indulge you. What does one wear in this sort of program?”

“The same thing you’d wear to Risa: clothes that will allow you to sunbathe or swim.”

Garak looked like he regretted his decision, but he didn’t say anything. Their conversation moved away from the topic of holoprograms and back to the safety of literature. Julian felt a thrill of anticipation.

Julian waited outside holosuite four, clutching a beach towel and wondering if this had been a bad idea. Julian had _feelings_ for Garak, and going to the beach could be construed as romantic. The thought of having to control his feelings while they wore less clothing than usual and walked the beach together was making Julian antsy. Garak’s ability to read emotions and motivations on others was sharp, and Julian had a tendency to be an open book. What if he showed his feet? Julian didn’t know if he’d be able to handle that.

“Doctor! I hope I’m not too late?” Garak strolled up, and Julian stamped down on his train of thought.

Garak was wearing a short-sleeve, light robe and linen capri pants in a light oatmeal color. Julian could see the very bottoms of his shins and the pattern of scales there. He dragged his gaze back up to Garak’s face and let an easy smile grace his features. “Not at all! I was just about to go in.”

Julian had chosen one of the more remote beaches of Risa for this holoprogram, and stepping into it, Julian was glad for the choice. It was beautiful, with crystalline water and a nice breeze that kept it from being too hot. The sun felt amazing after being on the Defiant without holosuites or sunshine for weeks.

“I see why you chose this program,” Garak said, and when Julian looked at him, he was turning his face up into the sun with his eyes closed.

Julian smiled. “I told you you would enjoy it.”

They walked a little while longer, and then Julian stopped to lay his towel down and peel off his shirt. He was a little disappointed when Garak didn’t take off his light robe, but his forearms and calves were exposed, and that was more skin than Julian had ever seen him show.

“I’m going for a swim,” Julian said. “You can join me if you want.” He made his way out to the water, and Garak followed until the water was just barely lapping at his feet. That’s when Julian noticed that Garak was wearing what looked like a pair of waterproof shoes. When he stepped into the surf wearing them, Julian’s first impression turned out to be correct. Julian felt a pang of disappointment when he realized Garak would not be taking them off.

The thing was, Julian had always been interested in feet. It was when Julian was dating his first girlfriend that he discovered this interest. Sam had been her name, and she would sit on the floor of her bedroom and paint her nails while Julian was there, and he had marveled at the gentle curve of her arches and the pretty pink of her toenails.

After that, Julian had always paid special attention to the feet of the people he dated. He had always found it a bit of a disappointment when he realized after his one night stands had left that he hadn’t gotten a chance to see their feet, but so far none of his romantic interests had ever discovered his secret.

Feet were a good way to determine if a person took care of themselves. Clean feet meant a clean life, and Julian appreciated that about people. He was fastidious with his own feet, and he desired that in a partner. Palis had had amazing feet for a dancer, and Julian sometimes still thought about her arches, even though he had been over her for years.

Julian watched as Garak stood with the water up to his ankles, and Julian was still watching when a wave hit him in the back and sent him stumbling. When Julian righted himself, Garak was looking at him with barely-concealed humor. The twitching of his tail gave away the fact that he was highly amused—Garak could, of course, control the twitching of his tail if he wanted to, but he seemed to be in a good mood and willing to let it show.

“You might want to watch the waves, my dear.”

Julian’s disappointment at Garak’s covered feet was pushed to the side at the sight of Garak’s amused, fond expression. Julian laughed and resisted the urge to splash him. After a while they made their way back to the towel and Garak laid out next to him to take in the sun. Julian was happier than he had been in a long time, hidden feet notwithstanding.

After some nice sunbathing and a long conversation about _Pride and Prejudice_ in which Garak completely missed the point of the book, it was finally time for them to vacate the holosuite.

“Lunch tomorrow?” Garak asked.

Thinking about Garak’s scaled shins and feet hidden under swim shoes, Julian suddenly felt brave.

“Actually, I was wondering if you’d be interested in dinner. In my quarters. Tomorrow.”

Garak blinked, but the smile that quickly curled on his mouth made Julian’s heartbeat skip. “I would love to.”

2

Julian stared at Garak over the meal of replicated curry and rice he had set out for them and thought about what he found attractive about him. The man was self-assured and smooth-talking, and he had striking features that had pulled Julian in the moment he had laid eyes on him. Garak was a mystery wrapped in an adventure wrapped in a round-faced tailor, and Julian longed to pull back his layers to discover what was underneath.

“And that’s why I have never gone back to Oceana.”

Garak shook his head. “A whole planet ruined for you, just because you had a bad experience in one restaurant?”

“Bad experience is a bit of an understatement, Garak. A man died.”

Garak shrugged. “If what I have heard about that planet is correct, it seems worth facing your demons to be able to enjoy it.”

Julian shook his head. “You didn’t see the aftermath.” He resisted a shudder. “I’ll never be able to eat frava-fruit again.”

“A shame,” Garak sympathized.

For once, Julian made an effort to eat his food slower and to bask in the company. He wanted Garak to know that he was serious about this. Julian wanted Garak to see that he was making an effort for him, and that he was capable of restraint and patience.

When their plates were clear and the conversation lulled, Garak sighed. “I should be getting back to my quarters,” he said with regret in his voice. “I have an early fitting appointment tomorrow.”

“The night’s still young,” Julian protested.

“My dear, we’ve been talking for hours,” Garak said with a small smile and a tilt of his head. “As much as I would love to spend the rest of the night talking to you, I’m afraid that is not a smart idea. I will see you tomorrow, of course.”

Garak stood, and Julian scrambled out of his chair so he could beat Garak to the front door. “There is an exit fee, of course,” Julian teased, giving Garak a hooded look.

Garak’s expression lit up with interest at the prospect of a game. “I don’t have any latinum with me, I’m afraid. Do you except other forms of payment?”

“I’m sure we can think of something,” Julian responded, and then he leaned forward and kissed Garak.

Julian had not been expecting it to get out of hand, but somehow the simple kiss unlocked the tension they had been feeling for years, and it led to them clutching one another as closely as possible as they kissed frantically. Garak’s skin was cooler than a human’s but his mouth was hot, and the slide of his tongue against Julian’s was marvelous. Julian threaded his fingers through Garak’s silky hair and held him close, and Garak’s tail wrapped around the back of Julian’s calf.

“Julian,” Garak breathed, and the name sparked heat in Julian’s stomach.

They migrated to the couch, where Garak pressed him down into the cushions, a welcome weight along Julian’s front. Garak was solid where Julian was willowy, and it allowed Julian to grip his broad shoulders tightly while Garak worked at the fastenings on their pants.

Neither of them lasted long, and in the aftermath they lay together, panting on the sofa.

“I can’t believe I came in my pants like a teenager,” Julian said with a laugh while Garak planted soft kisses along his jaw.

“You’re not entirely in your pants, my dear,” Garak responded.

“When the pants are still on my legs, I’d say it counts as _in my pants_.”

Garak was giving him a fond look, and it dispelled any embarrassment about their behavior. It had been wonderful, and they could take it slow the next time.

It occurred to Julian, when he was alone in his bed later that night, that Garak had kept his shoes on and Julian _still_ hadn’t seen his feet.

3

There was a Cardassian Vole problem on the promenade. More accurately, there was _one_ vole loose on the promenade and it was causing chaos. Miles had pried it out of a ventilation duct, and now it was scurrying across the promenade floor and causing people to scatter in its path. Odo had just gotten there, and not even the efficient Constable was successful so far in catching it.

Julian and Garak were there mostly by chance, on their way out of the Replimat after lunch together, and now they were standing off to the side to watch the chaos unfold. Garak had the amused expression that always sat on his features when anything interesting was happening, whether it be good or bad for the people involved.

A Bajoran man staggered into the jumja stick cart as he tried to get away from the vole that was skittering along the edge of the wall. Odo lunged with stretched arms, but succeeded only in grabbing the man’s foot and sending them both to the floor. A woman screamed, and the man behind the jumja cart was yelling at the pair who were struggling to get off the floor. A group of Ferengi stopped to stare at the commotion.

“This is chaos,” Julian said through barely-withheld laughter. “Cardassian Voles are terrible.” He glanced at Garak. “Do you know any special ways of catching them? They are Cardassian creatures, after all.”

“I’m not an exterminator,” Garak replied. “I would sooner make one a suit than be able to catch the thing.”

The vole wheeled out of the way of Kira, who had joined the chase, and then darted around a pack of Pakleds towards where Julian and Garak were standing.

“We should probably move,” Julian said, just as Kira started barreling towards them.

A few things happened at once. Kira tripped and Julian reached out to catch her. Garak took a quick step sideways to avoid the collision, and there was a high-pitched screech.

Julian caught Kira under the arms and they stared at one another in shock. Garak let out a curse, and both Julian and Kira looked over to see him sitting on the floor, staring down at his booted foot, which he was clutching in his hands.

“Garak, are you alright?” Julian asked.

“I accidentally stepped on the creature, and it bit me right through my shoe!”

Kira righted herself. “Thanks for the save, Julian, but it got away. I have to go help Odo. Sorry, Garak.”

Julian nodded as she took off, and he crouched down to Garak’s level. “Can I look at it?”

Garak pulled his foot away as Julian got closer. “It’s not as bad as it first seemed,” Garak said. “In fact, I don’t think it actually broke the skin.”

“Could you at least let me look?” Julian asked. “A vole bite can get infected quickly. And scar.”

Garak shook his head. “Really, Doctor, I’m fine.” He stood. “I need to get back to my shop. I’ll see you later for dinner?”

“Okay, Garak,” Julian said as he stood from his crouch. “If at any point you realize that the vole bite broke the skin, please come to the Infirmary.”

“Of course.”

Julian watched carefully for a limp as he walked away, but he was walking as smoothly as ever.

The next day, Julian was studying a patient’s blood test results on the main Infirmary console when Nurse Jabara stepped up to him to give him the reader on Bolian Flu he had requested. “Your tailor was in here yesterday afternoon.”

Julian looked up at her and took the reader. “Garak was in here? Why?”

“Vole bite. A nasty thing in the center of his right foot. Went right through the scales on top.”

Julian scoffed and set the reader down on the computer console. “I _knew_ the bite was worse than he told me.”

“Is there a reason he came in as soon as you were off duty?”

Julian crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, tilting his head up to look at the ceiling. Garak was an incredibly private person, but he and Julian had been through enough that Julian thought they were past something like refusing to get medical treatment for a simple bite until Julian was off duty. There was something else going on here, and Julian wanted to figure out what it was.

“I honestly don’t know,” he responded with a sigh.

“Does he not want you to see his feet or something?” Jabara asked with a laugh.

Julian shot her a wide-eyed look, and her expression grew uneasy.

“Wait, I was only joking,” she said. “Have you not actually seen his feet? Aren’t you sleeping together?”

“I _haven’t_ seen his feet.”

Her mouth opened and closed a few times. “That’s weird, Julian. Does he leave socks on or something?”

“He....” Julian trailed off and he frowned. “I honestly don’t know!” He tried to recall the night before and realized the angle had never been right to see Garak’s feet. And then they had been under the blankets.

Jabara gave him a pitying look. “You need to see his feet, Julian. If he won’t even let you treat a bite on his foot, he’s hiding something. I mean, his feet were normal for a Cardassian’s but….”

“No! Don’t tell me about them. I need to see them for myself.”

She gave him a weird look, but Julian was too preoccupied to worry much about it. A plan started forming in Julian’s mind—devious, but nothing that Garak wouldn’t do in his place. He just had to make it convincing enough to work on an ex-spy.

4

Julian had it all set up. He and Garak had dinner plans, and Garak was going to meet him outside the infirmary so they could walk to Julian’s quarters together. Julian would tell Garak to come inside the infirmary for a moment, with the excuse that he needed a few more minutes to finish up what he was working on. A mysterious substance, a slip of his hand, and the plan would unfold.

Julian was motivated by his desire to solve every mystery and to learn everything he could about Garak. The fact that Garak seemed to be hiding his feet from Julian was endlessly fascinating to Julian, and he thought it might have something to do with Garak somehow finding out Julian had a thing for feet.

Garak was playing a game with him, and Julian was testing the waters to see just how serious Garak was about this little game.

“Doctor?” Garak called from the entrance to the infirmary.

“Come in, Garak, I’m just finishing up.” Trap set.

Garak was nearly silent entering, but Julian was able to hear the press of the carpet under his booted feet which, if everything went according to plan, would soon be un-booted.

Julian picked up the beaker of green liquid and turned just as Garak neared him, making sure to act surprised that Garak was so close and to jerk his arm back as he gasped.

Green liquid sloshed out of the cup and right onto Garak’s shoes.

“Shit!” Julian cursed, setting the beaker down on the table and turning back to Garak. “Garak, this stuff will burn right through your shoes if you leave them on. You need to take those off immediately.”

Garak sighed. “Really, Doctor? You would transport a corrosive substance in an open container right when I walk into the infirmary? It seems clumsy for someone with enhanced reflexes.”

Julian opened his mouth to protest, but Garak cut him off.

“I am onto you, Julian,” Garak said. He reached around Julian and picked up the beaker. “Is this truly toxic?”

“Be careful with that, Garak!” Julian protested.

With an unchanging facial expression, Garak splashed the remaining liquid in the beaker down Julian’s front.

“If it truly is corrosive, won’t you strip off your uniform, Doctor?”

Julian stared down at his uniform in dismay. “Garak! Really?”

Not really desiring an unneeded trip into the emergency sonic shower, Julian decided to give up the game. He removed his safety goggles and gloves as Garak stared at him with a vaguely triumphant expression, his tail twitching in amusement.

“Doctor, if you are playing to win, you must play much better than this.”

“What do you think I’m playing?” Julian asked, raising his eyebrows.

“My dear, don’t play coy. Now, if we’re going to be on time for dinner, we should hurry up and get changed. You seem to have gotten something on your uniform, and my shoes just don’t quite match my outfit, do they?”

Julian heaved a sigh and followed Garak out of the infirmary.

5

This was getting outrageous. Garak and Julian had been romantically involved for _weeks_ and Julian still hadn’t laid eyes on Garak’s feet. The man took every precaution to keep his feet hidden, but never admitted to doing it. Julian wouldn’t admit to the clawing need that filled him when he thought about gazing upon the feet of the person he loved. Julian loved Garak without his feet, of course, but there was something _missing_ in this relationship, and Julian didn’t even know why it was missing.

Why did Garak need to keep his feet a secret? Was it some Cardassian thing, was it some issue Garak had, or was it simply Garak’s way of holding something over Julian’s head? Neither of them was willing to admit something was going on, but both of them were firm in their position.

“I just don’t understand why he thinks he needs to keep his feet secret from me!” Julian whined during a darts match with Miles. “We’ve been dating for nearly two months now!”

Miles had a decidedly uncomfortable expression on his face when Julian looked over at him. It was a common expression when Julian talked about Garak.

“Julian, this is a little more than I can handle.”

“Come on, Miles! You ask my advice about Keiko.”

“But it’s not about weird stuff,” Miles argued. “I ask you about what to get her for her birthday and how to tell her I’m going to be late getting home for the third night in a row.”

“I don’t have those sorts of problems with Garak.”

Miles threw a dart and it hit the very edge of the board, hard. “You have much weirder problems, and I have no answer for you, Julian.”

Julian sighed. He had thought that Miles would have at least had some advice, unlike Sisko. Sisko had just stared at him blankly and looked like he wanted to dart out of the Infirmary as soon as he could, blood test be damned. Maybe telling his commanding officer about his relationship problems with Garak had been a mistake, but Julian tended to babble when treating his patients.

Julian was beginning to realize he may have met his match in stubbornness. Even when they were fully undressed around one another, Garak would wear a pair of thin black foot coverings, not overly noticeable unless you were looking specifically at his feet, which Julian _was._ It was strange, and Julian had no idea what to do about it. Of course, Garak never mentioned the foot coverings, and Julian never asked. It was infuriating.

They had started to spend more and more time in each other’s quarters, and Julian had memorized Garak’s routine. He began devising little ways he might finally get a peek at Garak’s toes: trying to unveil them in the middle of the night while Garak was asleep (a bad idea because the man was a light sleeper), trying to push the socks off with his feet during sex (again, a bad idea because Garak usually had the upper hand and could likely prevent this), or sneaking up on him in the sonic shower.

Julian decided sneaking up on Garak in a sonic shower was the most likely to work. After all, no one wore socks in a shower.

Unfortunately, just as Julian decided on this course of action, he was called away on a mission to Romulus for a conference. Garak’s parting words had been advice about spying on the Romulans and were an unexpected foreshadowing. Julian hadn’t been prepared to get wrapped up in a Section 31 plot but wrapped up he was, and the whole thing ended with _torture_ of all things.

While stuck in the dark room with the Romulans, face beaten and bruised and a headache beating through his temples, the only thing running through Julian’s head was that he needed to survive this so he could get back to Garak. Get back to Garak so he could finally lay eyes on his feet.

In the end, he made it back to DS9 with no long-term injuries, other than bruised trust in the Federation and their willingness to allow shady spy business to happen under their noses.

“You look tired, my dear,” Garak said when Julian stopped by his quarters that evening. “Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable. I’m going to take a sonic shower and join you momentarily.”

Julian nodded, exhaustion pulling at his shoulders. It felt nice to be around Garak again, to be able to let down his guard and not worry that missing the five layers of innuendo would get him killed like it could have with the Romulans.

Julian heard the sonic shower turn on and perked up. Garak was in the bathroom without socks on right now. He pushed off the couch and tiptoed over to the bathroom. He had to give Garak enough time to get completely undressed before trying to break in, and he had to make sure he was able to override the lock fast enough to keep Garak from putting socks on in the time it took Julian to get in.

Fueled by thoughts of grey feet, Julian made quick work of the lock. The bathroom was already full of steam, and by the time Julian was able to see through it, he knew he had been duped.

Garak had a towel wrapped around his torso, and on his feet were the stupid water shoes he had worn to the beach.

“Can I help you?” Garak asked with a toothy smile.

Julian sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Water shoes, Garak, really? In a sonic shower?”

“I was preparing for company,” he replied.

“Garak, I can’t do this anymore! I don’t understand.”

“Don’t understand what? Do be more specific, my dear.”

“Why you’re hiding your feet from me,” Julian said with a jerky gesture of his hand. “You’ve been doing everything you can to keep me from seeing your feet!”

“You act like not seeing my feet is a horrible thing.”

“For me it is!”

And there it was. His _thing_ for feet was revealed, and Garak was grinning like he had won a round of dabo.

“Was this your ploy all along? To get me to admit it?”

“That day on the beach was what made me suspect you,” Garak explained. “Your eyes kept straying to my shoes. I then remembered the way you had described your former romantic partners, and it clicked.”

“So you decided to play this game with me, just so I would say it out loud?” Julian asked, his face pinching in exasperation.

“I do like watching you squirm, my dear.”

“You’re horrible,” Julian said. “Truly horrible.”

Garak smiled. “Hmm, well, I was going to invite you to join me in the sonic shower, but if I’m so horrible, I suppose that’s not of interest to you.”

Julian shook his head. “You’re horrible, but I’m madly attracted to you.” He was already unzipping the front of his uniform, and Garak was giving him a sultry grin.

The shower shoes didn’t come off that night.

+1

Julian stood alone in the Infirmary, feeling like the weight of a runabout was sitting on his chest and restricting his breathing, choking him. Somehow, Julian had never expected this was possible. No one could have warned him, because Julian wouldn’t have believed them.

Garak had always seemed so timeless, so invulnerable.

But here under the examination lighting he lay, unmoving and cold. If it weren’t for the necessity of discovering what had happened, Julian would be locked away in his quarters, hiding from the concerned looks and crushing reality.

“Julian, please let me help,” Jabara said from over his shoulder.

Julian shook his head. “I have to do this,” he said around a tight throat. “And I’d like to do it alone.” Jabara pulled away and left the room.

Julian was fairly certain it had been poison, based on the reaction and the timing. An autopsy would confirm it and help them track down the killer.

Julian pulled back the white sheet covering him and released a pained breath. His face was still and lacking that clever tilt to his lips and the bright, interested look in his eyes. Julian pressed the feeling to the back of his mind as forcefully as he could and got to work.

A test to a swab of the inside of his mouth revealed that it was indeed poison, but it would require further analysis to figure out exactly what kind of poison it was.

Julian stalled, magnification tool held in his loose grasp as his gaze locked on the very end of the biobed.

Garak’s feet were bare, of course they were, exposed to the cool air of the infirmary in a way Garak would have never allowed in life.

Julian moved around the biobed to get a little closer and gazed down. Garak’s feet were plain and square, the nails trimmed neatly. There was a light pattern of scales running along the top until they joined with the scales on the front of his shin. On the right foot, there was a small scar where the vole had bitten him.

Julian turned away and clutched the edge of one of the consoles, his vision blurring. He sucked in a shaky breath, and before he could control himself, he was crying in choked, painful sobs.

Garak was gone, and it had been the work of some half-rate poison and a lazy afternoon where vigilance had been low, on both their parts. Julian sucked in another shaky breath, swiped angrily at the wetness under his eyes, and steeled himself. He owed it to Garak to figure out who his killer had been.

It had been the sight of Garak’s feet that had finally caused him to break down, a sight that would never have been afforded him so easily had Garak been alive. Garak’s feet were a gift that Julian hadn’t earned, so when Julian moved back to the biobed, he lifted the sheet and covered Garak’s legs with it. Julian hadn’t seen Garak’s feet in life, and he would no longer look at them in death. The last thing he would see of Garak would be his quiet face, a face Julian had loved dearly.

The worst thing about that game of cat-and-mouse he and Garak had played for weeks, the terrible truth of it, was that Garak’s feet had ended up being _bland._


End file.
